Losing Souls
by LucianSalesia
Summary: Once they were different, once they were free, betrayed by wizards they became lost. Hoping to return to what they once were they never lost their longing for freedom. Will not be following the books, well not everything at least. SLASH! Notice the rating
1. Prolog

Disclaimer: Nothing of Harry Potter belongs to me and I make no money with this.

It's just an Idea I came up with in the middle of the night and I hope you like it, I apologize for all mistakes, this isn't my native language, but I hope it is nevertheless readable ^^ enjoy

Prolog

Such a long time ago…

So long…

Was it years? Centuries? Millenia?

An island near the cost of England and at the same time as far away from it as possible. Floating creatures, black shredded cloathing hiding their bodies never to be seen by anyone, watched the night, protected the island. Desperate to lose the invisable chains holding them to this dreaded place. Longing for their original land, the country they once called home. The memories told among themselves as to not forget, never forget.

In the first years of their capture, they bemoaned the loss of their home, the land they were bound to. That feeded them, gave them their purpose to life. They lost all happiness, lost everything that resembled a positive thought. And in time they started to feed of the happiness of others. Desperate and frantically searching for a way to be free they became no more than shells, only feeding and waiting…

Waiting for a chance, a change, something that would free them from this curse that this humans, this wizards put upon them, bound them to this island that was not theirs, would never be theirs, because it could not make them happy, it could not sustain them the way their homeland could.

But something seemed to have changed. Something throbbed in the air, a pressure, an energy, they could not name it but it caused them to wake. Slowly they began to rise out of the dephts of their minds, the ancient longing for scorching sunrays on their faces and millions of stars in the ice like nights in their hearts, though the rainy and heavy clouded night squished their hopes immediately. But they stayed awake. Noticing the change in the wind. The faint smell of power that was not there before and they knew. They knew their times were about to change.

And they acted on it. They could not free all of them but with this new energy, this promise of hope they could free one, one with the mind of them all, one of them to look for the cause of this strange feeling. One of them with enough power to become what he once was, even if it was just half. Half them, half what they had become without their holy land. He was nearly human in this state of existence, and even if he despised to even resemble this people which had betrayed all of his kin, it would bring them a chance.

In the distance, under the light of the fullmoon, the dead mangled body of a sixteen year old wizard was replaced with a creature, that may have looked like him, resembled him in every detail, but would never be him. He stood up, beat the dust from his black and green robes and opened startling violet eyes, that faded to a dark brown, near black color, starting to make his way from the creepily silent forest to the castle that reached into the nightsky promising him hope.

TBC

Hope you liked it ^^ I allways am happy about reviews good or bad, so I really really really want you to press that little button and write to me what you think about it. Please? *looking at you with puppy dog eyes*

lucian


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It was strange for the former spiritual being to suddenly have a body of flesh. To have the need to breath, to eat, to interact with humans. It was weird to feel the warmth of the blood pumping through the veins of his meat. It was frightening to be confined in walls for most of the time. In their country nothing was between them and the sky and even after their capture they were just inside when they need to feed. Even if most of the rooms of this castle were huge, they seemed small to him, but he didn't complain. The voices of his kin were in his mind, comforting him, whispering encouragements.

He had luck with the boy whose place he took, he wasn't popular and noone seemed to notice his odd silence for the last week. He got some weird looks from some humans of the opposite table, Gryffendors if he'd heard right, but that didn't worry him. What surprised him was a girl from the same table, a redhead with stunningly green eyes. But it wasn't her looks that fasciated him, it was her scent. She smelled like a flower he once knew from his home, like the people that traveled through their lands ages ago, he didn't know if they were still there. It was such a shock as he recognised it for the first time that he nearly danced in delight of the familiarty.

"Snape…", he looked up at the blond boy leaning above him, concluding that he ment him.

"Yes?", he said in a monotone voice.

"Lessons begin in a few minutes, not that I care but if we lose more housepoints because of you, I don't think that you will wake up again one morning."

"Yes.", never changing his calm and expressionless behaviour he stood up from his chair and walked out of the great hall to his class, never noticing the eyes that followed him all the way out.

Classes were another thing he did not understand. Weren't wizards magical beings? Why did they have to learn everything in such strange ways? Maybe because they were so seperated? His people were allways connected, even in great distances they could feel oneanother, speek oneanother, hear eachothers thoughts. They were different individuals but at the same time they were one being, noone came first, noone came last and noone would be left behind. Everyone of them was sacred to the other, it was one of the reasons they were all captured this long time ago.

But they, this magical humans, it seemed like they had to learn about their magic whereas most magical beings just knew what to do. Maybe it was that they weren't as magical as he was? Maybe it were the bodies that confined the magic so that it couldn't connect with the magic around them? It seemed strange to him, this isolation. But playing the role of a wizard, he just copied their moves and mumbled their words and used his own magic to achieve the results they were asking for.

He closed his eyes for a second, before he entered the classroom, listening to his family, friends, his other halfs. Tonight he would go to the source. The location of that energy that filled the air, that gave them hope and caused them to awaken.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Only the light of the fire in the fireplace chased away the darkness of the early night. Outside the wind prepared for the first storm of winter and the new Dark Lord sat relaxed in an armchair, book in one hand, glass of wine in the other. He was alone, no Death Eaters who brought information or reported their missions were around, not even Nagini kept him company, he seemed like every normal man enjoying his evening after a day of hard work. The wind picked up and light brown eyes looked up to glance at the door.

He tilted his head as if he would listen for something, he must have heard it because the next thing he's doing is walking to the door out of the room and down the stairs to the front door. With only a moments hesitation he opened the door. The first thing he noticed were the eyes. They were nothing like eyes should have been. The iris was lucent, like it wasn't flesh but crystal, it reflected the light like perfekt jewels and the color was something between blue and red, not violet, not pink, something you really couldn't define. And they were old, to old to be in the face of a sixteen year old boy. Eyes like that weren't human, not even in the wizarding world, and that eyes regarded him with slight distaste and surprise.

"You're a wizard.", were the first words of this strange creature. Voldemort nodded and stepped to the side to allow entrance.

"And you're not.", a slight smile curled around the pale lips of the stranger in the body of a slightly familiar boy.

"No I am not, fortunately.", Voldemort frowned.

"Who are you? What are you, if you allow the question and above all, why were you standing in front of my door.", the eyes that had been wandering around the entrance hall, studying the pictures and furniture returned to his face.

"We felt an energy, such a strange scent in the air, it woke us. You woke us.", the strange creature leaned in and breathed in, closing its eyes and tilting its head to the side. "You are the source.", opening its eyes they seemed to stare right down into his soul, or what was left of it, he thought sarcastically. "But you're just a wizard.", it was nearly insulting, the way it said this.

"Well, sorry to disappoint.", Voldemort said in a half laugh, not in the least offended, even if it was strange to hear it from a sixteen year old.

"It's okay. It is not your fault.", the being started to wander around him to get a nearer look at the photos standing on a dresser behind him. "And to the what I am…," the boy looked over his shoulder. "Once I was a spirit of sand and sunlight and starlight and wind, then I became some abomination, a nightmare of fear and desperation and insanity? That's what you call it, am I right? When you can't stop screaming? Even when your voice collapses? And now I'm something in between. Looking for a way to be what I once was, to be what every one of us once was."

Silence followed those words, a silence were this entity before him wandered around the room, looking at everything as if it had never seen it before and a silence were Voldemort thought about the meaning behind those words. Beings of sand and light? He had never heard of them. Nightmares of fear and desperation? A boggart? No, they don't drive you insane, at least not usually. Insanity were you can't stop screaming…a gasp disrupted the quiet.

"You're a Dementor? What?", amethyst eyes pierced into him, in not more than a second the face of the boy was mere centimeters away from his own.

"Yes I am.", he said frighteningly calm. "I feed off the happiness of others, steal the warmth from their very blood and drive their minds into endless realms of terror.", his eyes had lost all color and were a sick white, boring into his own, freezing breath grazed his lips and seemed to make his heart clench in fright. He couldn't move. Those pupillless eyes holding him in place. "And you were the ones that made us turn into this.", for a moment the boy was gone and the creature of so many nightmares stood before him, a moment he couldn't remember one happy memory from all of his life.

"Sh…", the boy was back, warm fingers stroked his cheek. "I'm sorry. It wasn't your fault. Not yours."

"What is it that you want of me?", Voldemort said uncertainly. The eyes were back to their strange color and a smile graced the features of the teen. He leaned in, his lips only a breath away from his ear he wispered.

"Freedom."

TBC

So, first chapter and a question for you: should this just be friendship between our favourit Dark Lord and Dementor (he will get a name in the next chapter, I promise^^) or should it be something more? Tell me in a review!

To get an idea of his eye color: http:/www. modernjeweler. com/images /article /1176162513415_AfricanAmethyst_JohnDyer. jpg (just erase the breaks)


	3. Chapter 2

Next Chapter! And its still so short… -.-, but I hope you'll like it nevertheless!^^

Thank you to farawisa for her review and putting me in her favorite authors list and to dverducci for putting this story in her/his story alert list^^, you both made my day XD

But enough of me talking, on with the story!

**2. Chapter**

„The blood-boiling-curse, despite his name, does not heat your blood but causes the iron in your body to dissipate and, because iron is an important component of blood that binds oxigen to the red blood cells, causes multiple organic failure. It is one of the more vicious curses of the Dark Arts and requires a more complicated shielding spell than "Protego", which you should've learned by now, it was homework for today. The ones who could cast it in the last lesson will be working on the shield against the blood-boiling-curse, the others'll show me their improvments. I will pair you up so that everyone should be busy while I make the rounds.", this years DADA teacher clearly was muggleborn, Remus Lupin thought with a small amused smile on his lips. No wizard born and raised in the Wizarding World would describe a curse in such a scientific way, even if it was an interesting concept, if you conjured something out of iron and threw it into the curse would it effectivly erase the curse by losing its energy by destroyng the iron in the object? It was in that moment that he heard his name.

"Mr. Lupin with Mr. Snape, Ms. Morry and Mr. Travers-" Remus sighed. It was no surprise, he was the ninth on the Gryffindor-list and Snape the ninth on the Slytherin-list of students, they often ended up together when the teachers decided to mix the practice pairs. It was probably the only time they spoke to each other, because of Remus' friends they ignored each other most of the time. But it would be difficult today, because everytime he looked onto Snapes face, flashes of blood and darkness and moonlight appeared before his eyes, it was confusing and frightening him.

"Lupin.", he came back from his thoughts to be face to face with his practice partner which was weird because Snape never came so close before, to anyone. He allways distanced himself out of reach, now he was mere centimeters away. He could see the pupil in the nearly black iris, something that had never happened before, even with his enhanced sight.

"Do you want to start with the new shield spell, or should I begin?"

"Oh, I don't really care."

"Then I think you start.", Remus nodded and went to their assigned circle on the floor, wich was warded so that no messed up spell could hurt anyone by straying out of it, aware of the black eyes following his every move.

And while dark eyes studied every move to imitate it later, another set of eyes stared onto the mass of Death Eaters in front of him, thinking back to the conversation of last night, that still seemed like some sort of strange dream.

///////Flashback\\\\\\\\

"Freedom.", hot dry air carresed his ear, so opposite the ice cold breath he experienced just a few seconds ago, that he nearly didn't catch the word.

"I think maybe we should move this conversation to a more comfortable environment.", he gestured this strange being to follow him to the room upstairs were he had been reading before his unexpected guest had arrived. Said guest looked at him as if he didn't understood his reasoning but followed him nevertheless.

As they sat down by the fire, or rather he sat down waiting for the boy to do the same, he watched as the crystal-like eyes regarded the room and its content with open curiosity and as he watched on he couldn't help but be irritated by the youth of his visitor.

"Is there a particular reason why you look like a sixteen-year-old boy?", the teen looked at him and then at his body.

"It is the persons appearance whose place I took.", he explained.

"What happened to the actual boy.", already suspecting what happened.

"He's dead. Was killed by some animal.", Voldemort sighed.

"Could you change your appearance? I really can't take you serious when you look like a kid.", the being tilted his head to the side.

"If it makes you more comfortable and more willing to help us, then of course I can change.", and with this in the blink of an eye the teen was gone and a man stood in his place. He was half a head taller than Voldemort, his face with high cheekbones and all in all untamed with a beard of three days worth of groth and black short cropped hair. The pale skin of the boy was gone and in its stead it now seemed to shine a dark gold color in the firelight. The Slytherin Schooluniform was replaced by black cotton trousers and a white button up shirt, that showed off the muscular arms and broad shoulders. The eyes remained the same strange color, though they seemed to be even more intense now then before.

Voldemort seemed to regard him for a moment before he spoke again, now faced with a seemingly thirty-five-year old man it was easier to consider him as a potential ally.

"Thank you. I think introductions are in order. I am Lord Voldemort and I welcome you to my manor.", the man sat down in the opposite armchair and nodded in acknowledgement.

"My name is Khaled, and as I said before, I am here to ask for your help.", the Dark Lord narrowed his eyes.

"What leads you to the conclusion that I would help you?", he was no charity campaign after all, but Khaled just smiled again, a thing, the Dark Lord just noticed, noone had dared to do in his company for a long time.

"Because I can be of help to you, too.", he lent forward, elbows on his knees. "You are quite a powerful man, surely you have ambitions. Aims to achieve. For your help I grant you one wish, as long as it does not interfere with the freedom of my people and the freedom and peace of our lands you can wish as you like. You don't have to wish now, it is up to you, you have as much time as you need.", the Dark Lord started to play with a lock of his dark hair that reached just passed his ears as he considered the options of this offer.

"To get this straight. You want me to break the curse chains that binds you and your kin to the island of Azkaban and the Ministry of Magic and for that you grant me one wish? As long as it doesn't impede with the forementioned exceptions?"

"Yes.", Voldemort sighed again.

"It will take time to find the curses that were used and the rituals to break them, what are you going to do until then?", violet eyes stared into the ambers of the fireplace.

"Live. Hope. Trying to remain undiscovered in your world.", he seemed to think for a while as if he would consider a question and didn't quite know how to word it. "Do you mind if I come by once in a while, it is quite lonely in this strange world of yours. The boy was very antisocial, which I thought strange, but it seems a lot of you wizards are this way, I thought it has to be the opposite, it was in the time we were free, but it seemed to have changed and, well, my kind is a very close group, considering we're Empaths that isn't a surprise but, I don't know, it was pretty solitary in the last weeks.", the Dark Lord regarded the face of the man before him and without knowing why he nodded.

"I would like to learn more about your kind, and if you don't mind, I would like to know what powers you have? Maybe you could do me some favours once in a while until I know what I want to wish for? That way you have something to do and can keep me company.", a smile stretched over the face of Khaled as he stood up and nodded in acceptance, he was closely followed by Voldemort who now was again confronted with the strange colored eyes piercing to the bottom of his soul. Khaled put his hands on both sides of his neck, so that his thumbs laid just before the Dark Lords earlobes and placed a tender kiss on his forehead. Pulling back from a stunned Voldemort he just smiled again and nodded just as he seemed to be losing all of his color and outlines, disappearing into nothingness.

///////Flashback end\\\\\\\\

TBC

Next time Remus will notice some more things that seem different in one Severus Snape, and it will be friendship between Khaled and Voldemort, but physical friendship, you now, hugs, caresses, kisses to the forehead, nothing beyond that.

Til next chap! And don't forget to review! You know I love them.

lucian


	4. Chapter 3

So, new Chap^^ and my muse finally inspired me for the main pairing! so have fun reading^^

Chapter 3

It was late into the night and Severus Snape leaned over a heavy tome in the Slytherin common room. His feet were propped on the seat of the armchair beneath him and his eyes roamed over the ancient runes on the yellow tainted pages. The only sound that reverberated through the room was the cracking of the fire from the fire-place and the occasional turning of a page or the shifting of limbs. So it was with surprise that Severus registered the dark red hair that had fallen into his view and the sudden breath that ghosted over his ear.

"Can't sleep?" came a hushed whisper from behind. The being pretending to be a boy, turned his near black eyes to the owner of that voice. And came face to face with one of the most stunning creatures that he had laid eyes upon since his time in a human form. Straight blood colored hair, reaching just below the ears, framed the pale face that seemed to glow in the orange light of the flames. Brown eyes shone down on him, reminding him of dark honey with specks of bronze and gold. He had seen this person before together with his twin and the blond that had reprimanded him about his lateness to classes, even though the redhead standing currently behind him seemed to prefer to just be in their vicinity, instead of interacting with them. And as he could see him up close now, he could see why he didn't seem to fit with those two.

"I don't sleep," he answered, still surprised by the sudden appearance and still captured in that gaze. It was such a beautiful soul.

"Ahh," came an understanding noise and Rabastan Lestrange nodded while his gaze shifted to the tome in Severus' hands. "Catching up on History?" Severus closed the book and turned around to fully face the human boy with his not quite human soul.

"Why are you up so late?" Snape asked instead of answering the question. The other boy shrugged and lent himself against the back of the armchair.

"Curiosity, mostly." he smiled and black eyes nearly turned violet as they saw what stood before them. "On the other hand, I wondered if you may have changed your mind?", the younger looking boy frowned.

"On what?"

"Come on, Sev. The question I always ask when I find you studying in the middle of the night," the redhead moved one hand to cup Severus' neck while the other began to caress the side of his face.

'Ahh,' thought Severus as brown eyes seemed to darken to black.

"Have I ever said yes?" he asked with slight sarcasm. Rabastan smiled wistfully and shook his head, taking his hands back to himself.

"No," he said and turned away to go away to go back to the dorms. What he hadn't expected was the hand that captured his and held him back. His eyes widened in surprise before he put his playful mask back on and turned around to the teen that had captured his interest since his fifth year. There was open interest on the sixteen year-old's face, something he hadn't seen on the always so solemn boy before.

"Do you mean it?" Severus' voice was serious and the black eyes seemed to look straight into his soul for the answer. Rabastan shrugged and smiled.

"It's just sex, Sev. Not a proposal." The dark haired boy stood up from his seat and turned to stand before him, he was just a few inches smaller than the redhead, and the hand that had captured his just a moment ago, wandered up his arm and stopped at the back of his head. They stood face to face, lips just a moment apart as black eyes bored into his and a shudder of fear ran through his heart.

"Do you mean it?" it was nothing more than a whisper but Rabastan's smile froze, while his thoughts began to whirl. It was just Sex, was it not? Of course, he had chosen Severus but mostly because he had found him good looking and he didn't seem clingy like the others he had thought about. Probably because he was the only boy that had came to his mind when thinking about it that way. Was he sure he wanted this?

He looked at the boy standing before him. Straight black hair fell just below his chin and was on the left side pushed back behind the ear, tempting him to press his lips to the skin just below the lobe, where the skull met the neck. His gaze wandered to lips that were neither full, nor thin and didn't contrast very much with Severus' pale face, but that only seduced him to try to kiss them red and swollen. And as his eyes wandered back to Severus' eyes he noticed for the first time how deep they seemed, that he could get lost in those black pools that appeared to absorb the light. He had a fleeting thought that they should have a different color, but that was soon forgotten, as he grew aware of the hot breath on his lips and the stroking movements of the fingers on his neck. He thought back to the question. Did he mean it? Did he really want to sleep with this, in the fire-light so enticing creature?

"Hell, yes," he breathed and captured Severus' mouth in an open mouthed and fierce kiss, pressing one hand to the small of Sev's back to pull him against him and the other he placed at the back of his neck, running his fingers into Severus' hair. He moaned as the kiss slowed and their tongues explored each-other languidly, before they pulled back.

That was probably the hottest kiss he had ever had, thought Rabastan, and not just metaphorically. He could feel Severus heat pour through several layers of clothing as well as a responding bulge in both of their pants. He smiled at the boy before him, who pressed closer to his body, eliciting a gasp from both their mouths.

Then Severus stepped back and Rabastan felt the loss of contact as a regretting cold. He shivered as a warm, dry hand took his and led him over to the stairs that lead to the dorms. The dorms in Slytherin were shared in pairs, and as the seventh years were an uneven number, Rabastan had a room on his own, to which he was led by the silent teen that held his hand.

As they entered the candles lit and threw the underground chamber into a golden light that reflected only on the light surfaces and was absorbed by the rest, giving the room a surreal atmosphere. And as the door behind him closed and warm fingers started to undress him while his own did the same with Severus, he started to get lost in the gaze of lust and the physical passion that followed.

* * *

Violet eyes studied the sleeping face before them, as pale and slim fingers followed its outlines, remembered them with a tender caress. He removed his legs from their entanglement with the other boys own, careful not to wake him. A slight pain shot up his spine as he moved away, evidence for their shared moment. With one more glance to the sleeping redhead he stood up and with a thought, had his clothes back on his body. He lent down and stroked the red sweaty hair back behind the teens head and pressed a light kiss on his temple.

"You're beautiful," he whispered, before standing up from his leaning position and turned around to leave for his own bed, even if he would not sleep in it. And as he closed the door behind him, the light of the candles dimmed into nothingness and in the dark, brown eyes opened to stare at the door. He wasn't beautiful, thought Rabastan. He didn't know why, but he had opened his eyes with a strange pain in his heart and he couldn't explain why a tear ran down his face to be absorbed by the pillow beneath his head.

But he did know that somehow in the two hours that he had shared with the dark haired teen, he had lost something he had never wanted to lose. His heart.

With a heavy sigh he pressed his eyes close and dried his face in the pillow before he turned around and slid into an exhausted sleep.

* * *

It was with interest and curiosity that Severus looked down upon the small owl that had landed before his plate as the morning post arrived. She held her leg out and he saw a small rolled up paper bound to it. With careful movements he removed the note and offered the rest of his toast to the little bird. He knew that a lot of eyes watched him, even though it was not because he got post, more-likely it was because of the purple blue mark that was situated right behind his left ear.

He wanted to roll his eyes at their staring and whispering, as if he was the only one in this school full of hormonal teenagers to get sexed. Instead he smiled slightly at the feeling of impatience he got from his kin and opened the note.

"Meet me in room 103 after lunch." Severus' brow wandered up as he got a whiff of a very particular smell. What would the little wolf, that was so desperate to be a wizard, want with him? He shook his head in his mind. That boy shouldn't concern himself with things that weren't his business. It was time it was time he learned that curiosity did in fact, kill the cat. But first, Severus thought as he stood up and got his bag from the floor, he had Potions and Ancient Runes.

He took his time as he went to the room after lunch. And he knew why as soon as he entered room 103 and heard the curse that pushed his body against the wall and bound him to it. The door fell closed and Remus Lupin turned to look at him.

"What happened to Snape?"

TBC

you get the sudden urge to push the green button and tell me what you think about this chap.

XD Come on! let me know what you think^^

till next chap!

lucian


	5. Chapter 4

Yay! New chapter^^ and slightly longer than the previous ones... Oh, and I got

**Warnings**: for bad language (just once or twice) and a little bit of boy on boy action^^, so if you don't like either of that, skip the first part for the cursing and the last part for the sex^^

**Chapter four**

A smirk formed on his lips.

"What happened to me? Oh, that's just rich! You bound me to the fucking wall, that happened. Big accomplishment, congratulations. Now, let me go." his eyes bored into yellow-brown orbs and his voice was heavy with sarcasm. He could see doubt enter Lupin's eyes, but the wolf seemed to ignore it.

"You aren't him. You act nothing like him and you smell different, like hot sand and cold decay." a deep frown formed on Lupin's face.

"You're so sure of yourself?" Severus asked. "You really want to know the truth?" his smirk turned scathing. "Even if it could destroy your perfect little world?" and despite the growing bad feeling in his stomach Lupin nodded. And in a snap, Severus' eyes turned violet, giving way to Khaled's power, and they swapped positions. Now, Remus found himself up against the wall with an angry creature in his face.

"What happened to Severus Snape? He was killed little wolf, I found his mangled body, last full moon night. Maybe you should try to explain, little wolf, why you smell like earth and _blood_." wide shocked eyes looked down on him and a cruel smile appeared on his features while he nodded. "Yes, it wasn't me that left him to die under the light of the pale round moon, suffocating on his own blood. I just took his identity, so don't accuse me for unintentionally rescuing your ass from Azkaban."

Tears slid down pale cheeks and broken, desperate sobs escaped Lupin as he shook his head in denial. Khaled stroked Lupin's cheek with his fingertips, turning the tears into ice. "Believe me you really don't want that to happen." he let him go and the young werewolf collapsed in on himself and violet turned back to black as Severus lent down to whisper into his ear. "I wont tell if you don't tell, we clear on this?"

He pushed back up and got a shaky nod in response. Then he turned to the door besides them and just after he had closed it behind him he let the panic get the better of him. He went down the corridors as fast as he could without seeming to be running. As soon as he reached the dungeons he hid inside of one of the many niches and collapsed against the wall, trying to calm down his breathing and his hammering heart. He couldn't be found out. They would bind him again. They would capture him and force him back into an existence that he never wanted to go back to. His people would lose this one chance of going back to what they once were. He didn't want to crush their hopes within the first weeks of his freedom, just because he couldn't keep the act.

He was startled out of his thoughts as warm fingertips touched his right temple. He opened his eyes to look into dark honey and gold.

* * *

Rabastan was on his way to the library as he heard the sound of somebody trying to hold his sobs in. He took a closer look into the dark and was surprised to see Severus leaning against the wall and his eyes pressed close. After a moment in which he didn't quite knew what to do, he took a step forward and touched Severus where Sev had kissed him the night before. Startled eyes opened to focus on him.

"Hey." he said, no more than a whisper. Severus grimaced before he slowly pulled Rabastan into a hug.

"Hey.", he answered, and Rabastan lent his head on his shoulder. It was so strange for the redhead. All his life he was told to hide his feelings, to suppress the urge to touch or any physical showing of emotion. And it had left him cold and lonely, and secretly craving for exactly this. He had never felt as save and cherished as in this moment in Sev's arms, last night too. It hadn't been the quick fuck and tumble that he had in mind, it was as if every touch that had driven him insane with pleasure had seared straight into his soul, making him feel secure and special, like he actually was beautiful, even when he knew he was not.

"Everything alright?" Rabastan whispered against Severus' neck and he could feel the dark haired teen nodding.

"It will be." came the whispered answer. "I will be." Now Rabastan nodded and squeezed the younger teen.

"Okay." he took a step back and pointed with his thumb in the direction Severus came from. "I've got to go, have to do some research in the library, and you have Herbology, if I remember correctly." he knew he was babbling but he just couldn't stop it. "So we both better go." Rabastan nodded once more and turned around, heading for the library.

* * *

Severus closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

_You know this isn't going to work._ He heard one of his brothers whisper in his mind.

_I care for him. _Khaled opened his eyes and looked into the direction where Rabastan had disappeared to. _I care for him deeply._ He could hear the sigh of his sibling.

_But you're going to end up hurt._ He exhaled in an explosive sigh and nodded.

_I know. Trust me I know. But that wont change this one bit. I wont forget my mission, I know my priorities, I just... he... he makes _my_ soul shine, and I just... I care for him. I can't change that._ A feeling of sadness came through the link and he frowned at the sudden hot feeling of his eyes, the sudden wetness that clinged to their edges.

_We know. But if this mission fails, even if you succeed, this isn't going to work. I just don't want to lose you. _Severus knocked his head against the wall behind him several times before pushing away from it and making his way to the Herbology-classroom.

_I know, Zakiy. I know, brother. I rushed into this, but I can't go back now. I don't want to._ He barely made it to Herbology in time, sat down in the back row without a glance to any of his classmates and pulled out his books.

_You know, this is going to bite you in the ass._ Severus threw his head back in an explosive laugh, getting shocked and slightly freaked out looks from his classmates and the professor. He got back his composure just a moment later.

"I'm sorry, Professor Malles, just a really strange thought. I apologize, I didn't want to interrupt your lesson." he said in an even tone and an expressionless face. The round Herbology Professor blinked and stuttered for a moment but returned to his lecture without reprimanding him. _Where did you get this expression from, big brother? Shouldn't you be all sophisticated and be a role model to your younger siblings?_ All he got for this was a chuckle.

_You wish._

_

* * *

_

Rabastan tried to get the last minutes with Severus out of his head and tried to focus on the task that laid before him. He had gotten a letter in the morning. A request from the Dark Lord. Apparently he had encountered a spirit of some sort, a being of sand and sunlight and starlight and wind, that supposedly had something to do with the Dementors of Azkaban. He had gotten an allowance for the restricted area in the library from his Head of House before lunch with the excuse of trying to read up for the NEWT exams in DADA.

He showed it to Madam Pince and went to the Restricted Section of the library. It was filled with total silence as he was the only one there. It was a long search between the isles before he sat down with approximately twenty books around him. All of them about earth creatures or Dementors. It was half an hour before curfew, that Rabastan found something of interest. It was in a leather bound book that nearly fell to pieces when he had taken it out of the shelf earlier. It was a diary of a man that traveled the Arabian and African deserts and wrote down a lot about their rituals and creatures, and as most of the rituals included human sacrifices, it was considered a dark book. In the last third of the book he found the entry that peaked his interest. It was about a myth that the author had come across while traveling with nomads.

_It is the third full-moon that I traveled with this tribe and it is in this night that I sit down with them by the fire, that the elder took the word to tell a story about the true masters of the deserts. She looked up into the sky before she began and all the members of her tribe fell silent as her smoke-roughened voice filled the cold night air._

"_The moon is full and high in the sky tonight and the beings that I will tell you about are gathering in the center of the Great Deserts tonight to worship her." the old dark eyes never left the celestial body as she spoke. "So it will be save to speak of them without summoning them here.", it was then that her gaze focused on the people around her._

"_As the Great Gods created the earth, the waters and the sky and infused their creations with the magic of life, the goddess of sand and wind, Niora, fell in love with the goddess of the celestial lights, Horiana. It was forbidden for gods to touch each other and so, impossible for the two to consume their love. One new-moon night, at the beginning of time they met in secret in the rich and green lands that are now the Great Deserts, it was then that they caved for the first time and reached out for one another. _

_And as their skin touched and they forged a thin thread between them, they infused so much magic into the lands surrounding them that every living thing died in agony and only the sand, that was Nioras element and the cold starlight, that was Horianas element could absorb it without breaking apart. They were found out by Hana, the Goddess of oceans and rivers, and she ripped through the magic-filled land, creating the Red Sea in her wake. She saw what they had done and spoke._

"_You are guilty of the crime of touching each other. You will never do so again, or you will be punished to never be in the same realm again." They nodded their consent, neither of them wanting to be separated from each other in a way that would cut them from each other in every way, never to see each other again, never to speak to each other again. But it was on the night of the first full-moon that they met again, by accident and they fell into each others arms a second time. _

_Power throbbed through the desert lands they had created and under the cold shining moon and stars with the first rays of the burning sun that crept over the horizon, immortal souls rose from the sand. As the children of the goddesses that created them, they had the power to manipulate their elements and were fed by the magic of the lands they created. It was with tears of joy for their creation and sadness for what was yet to come that the two Goddesses awaited their punishment. It was just a moment and the voices of the Great Gods echoed through the land, creating the Nile as they cut to their position, and Niora was banished into the realm of Darkness, while Horiana was banished into the realm of Light. _

_But one thing, the Great Gods couldn't change, the creatures that were brought to life by the combined magic of two Great Gods couldn't be terminated, and everyone of those beings was bound to the other by threads of consciousness, and everyone of them had a thread to their creators. These beings, the Siorari, were born on that breaking dawn and every full-moon night when the moon is high in the sky they come together and merge the threads into a bridge between their Goddesses, a bond of mind, heart and soul. _

_These creatures are the true rulers of the deserts and, my children, if you ever come across them, speak no word and look them into their eyes, when they see that your soul is true, you have nothing to fear. But you shall never forget, don't speak when in their company, they might steal your last breath."_

_The woman found my skeptic gaze and smiled knowingly. She stood up and beckoned me to take her hand. I stood and followed her lead up the dunes and out of the camp-site. The white blue light of the moon soon replaced the orange glow of the fire-light, and made the desert shine bright into the night and it was as we reached the peak of one of the higher dunes that surrounded the camp that we came upon a sight, that I will never forget until the day that I die._

_Hundreds of beings that were shining with white light stood together, their faces looking up into the sky, their eyes closed and their hands all joined with the two next to them. They were human in shape and would have been transparent and invisible to the eye, hadn't they been glowing with this holy light._

"_As soon as they open their eyes, don't make a sound", the Elder whispered beside me and I nodded, too stunned to question her orders. "Open your mind, you have nothing to fear." I felt slight doubts about that, but nevertheless, I opened my mind slightly. The sound I heard that night, the voices, the music, it cannot be described in words. It was like your very soul is cleaned and healed by their song. And it was so much more. It was indescribably beautiful. And as their song reached its peak, they opened their eyes. They were jewels. Some were blue diamonds, some sparkling emerald, some topaz, some amethyst, jewels in all colors made up the iris of those creatures, and with the opening of their eyes the song became more rhythmic._

_Their bodies started to sway to the rhythm and I could not take my eyes off of them until the Elder touched my arm and gently steered me back to our camp, I didn't notice the tear-streaks on my cheeks until I was in my tent lying on my makeshift bed, thinking about what I saw tonight. I am probably the first of the western lands to hear from them, not to say see them. And if they are half as powerful as the elder said they were, they could be useful._

Rabastan sighed heavily at the end of that entry, the Author never talked about them again in his book and Rabastan wasn't sure if he shouldn't just write it off as a strange dream of the Author after hearing the story or if he should take it as truth. With another sigh he waved his wand over the pages of that entry and repeated the motion over an empty parchment, copying the text in the process. It was as he packed the books together on a shelve that his gaze fell onto his watch. It was half an hour past the curfew.

The redhead cursed and grabbed his things, making his way out of the library as silently and as fast as possible. Surprisingly he made it back to the Slytherin Common Room without getting caught. With a deep relieved breath he threw his bag on his bed and grabbed his washing utensils from his drawer.

As the Slytherins had more rooms, so that they don't have to share with four to eight others, they had a common shower room to make up for the different space division. As it was half past ten, and tomorrow was school he didn't expect anyone to be in the shower rooms that late. So it was with a surprise that he opened the door to the sound of running water and a humming voice. It were long beautiful sounds forming a haunting melody that echoed through the shower-room, making the hairs on his neck stand.

* * *

The rest of the day had been uneventful for one Severus Snape. Lessons were their usual drag, as mostly he just had to know what they wanted from him and see how they moved to make it work in his own way. It was quite boring. He had one lesson with the Griffindors today and Lupin had been very focused on his task to not look in his direction, getting strange looks from his friends now and then. Maybe he should talk to the boy to be a little bit more subtle.

After lunch he went up to his room, that he shared with some guy, he believed he was called something like Dolohom, - hog? Khaled had found that Severus and his room-mate tolerated each others presence but didn't talk. One could put it this way, they may have shared this room, but as far as they were concerned, the other didn't exist. So it was easy for Severus to change out of his uniform and into normal clothing and go to bed, draw his curtains close and disappear from sight without being questioned or even noticed by his bed-neighbor.

He reappeared in a dark alley, taking on the appearance of the mid-thirty male that he had taken on for his last visit. He walked down the street and up to the door. Not hesitating once as he went through the wards as if they were nothing more than air, he lifted his hand and knocked. It was only a moment before he heard footsteps that came down the stairs and ended in front of the door. He smiled as it opened to reveal the wizard with the scent of power.

"Lord Voldemort." he got a nod and a gesture to enter the house in return.

"Khaled." Voldemort shut the door behind him and led him up to the room they had conversed in before. There was another man sitting in one of the armchairs, his long golden hair captured in a strict way and his dark eyes looked up as Khaled and Voldemort entered.

"Abraxas, you remember the late visitor I told you about?" the blond man stood and extended his hand in greeting to Khaled. The spirit in human form took it and returned the firm hand-shake.

"A pleasure, my name is Khaled." Khaled studied the man as he nodded and spoke for the first time, his voice was rough and dry, and the spirit could smell illness in the mans breath.

"Abraxas Malfoy, Head of the Malfoy Family." Khaled tilted his head to the side as he looked harder.

"You don't look a lot like your son." blond eyebrows went up in surprise as the three of them sat down. A few coughs shook the blonds frame and Khaled saw out of the corner of his eye that Voldemort looked at this man with genuine concern, though the Dark Lord hid it as soon as Abraxas looked up.

"There are many that would claim the opposite. How do you know my son?"

"I took the identity of a boy who was murdered on the night I came to be in this form. He was enlisted in the school for wand-magic you use. I'm sharing his house." an accepting nod from the blond. Khaled took another look at the mans soul, seeing the blemishes were Death was creeping into the bright silver light. His gaze wandered to the Dark Lord. It always hurt to see that soul. It was splintered in just so many pieces but now, right at this moment, they didn't seem to quiver under the strain of remaining whole. Actually, they seemed to drift closer to each other slowly. It was a sight that could render a lesser being speechless.

"Actually, I came here to ask a favor. I require information and since you are the only one who knows about me from the outside and I can't risk my current identity, I come to you." a spark of interest lit in the dark eyes of Lord Voldemort and he leaned forward.

"What do you need?"

"I need everything there is to know about Severus Snape. His biography, his character, his relations, his behavior and habits. Of course you will get a favor in return for your services." Khaled reassured in a calm voice. He knew he was dealing with an ambitious man after all. The dark haired Lord took on a thoughtful look before he spoke.

"That shouldn't be a problem." he said and Khaled stood as he noticed the dismissal in those words. Both men stood with him and he first took a step towards the blond. He reached out and laid a hand on the side of his face, rendering the proud man speechless and motionless.

"You don't need to be afraid of what awaits you." Khaled pulled the man towards him a few inches and pressed a soft kiss on his head, breathing in the scent of decay that clung to this proud man. He exhaled a little of his magic as he moved away. "Though you shouldn't forget to live either."

The spirit turned to the Dark Lord who gave him a questioning look. He didn't say a word as he leaned forward and pressed a light, dry kiss to the mans forehead, all the while placing his fingertips upon the mans cheek, just before his ear.

"Farewell, Lord Malfoy, Lord Voldemort." and with that he vanished back to his bed.

His roommate was lying on his bed reading as Severus opened the curtains of his own bed and put his own book back into his bag. He felt the eyes of the other boy glance at him but he ignored it and took the bath supply bag from under his bed. His thoughts were still on the meetings he had today. The confrontation with Lupin and the looks he sometimes got from the other students had made clear that his behavior wasn't normal in the eyes of others, he needed more information. This had caused the visit to the Dark Lord, were he also made a few surprising discoveries.

First, the carnage that was Lord Voldemorts soul was apparently reversible, this wasn't surprising in itself but the cause for it was. Severus remembered the worried glance that the Dark Lord had shot the other man and Khaled hadn't believed that the man would be able to feel those emotions with that much damage to the center of his being. He sighed and turned to the big bathroom at the end of the corridor. It was pretty late and nobody else was there anymore. He laid out his towels and went into the shower-room. The hot water was soothing the flesh on his bones and the heat caressed the yearning of his soul. It brought back memories and he found himself humming the haunting melody of his Soul-connection. He was so entranced he didn't hear the footsteps approaching.

* * *

Rabastan didn't know what he should do for a moment. The humming resonated through the big, nearly empty, room and made his heart clench with delicious sadness and comfort. He wouldn't be able to describe it even if his life depended on it. It was haunting and beautiful and cruel and lovely and was just breaking his heart. He listened for a moment before his training kicked in and he closed down on his emotions. Well, he tried to anyway. He at least got his ability to move back and laid out his towels and clothes beside the ones already there. Then he turned to enter the shower-room, only to stop again at the entrance, again losing his composure. There in the light of the floating candles and the moon stood Severus Snape, his head held under the water, which was running down his back and legs. Pale hands with strong, but slim, fingers caressing normally equally pale skin, though now it was flushed with the heat of the water, to lather it with soap. He was a picture of gold and obsidian in the green-marble bath-room and the melody made it so much more surreal for the younger Lestrange twin. He didn't notice he had moved until he had reached forward and touched Severus spine. The muscles immediately tensed, the humming stopped and the teen whirled around, surprise and suspicion coloring his features. Both disappeared after he recognized Rabastan and a smile lit up the usually so emotionless face. Rabastan didn't know where he suddenly found the courage for his next words but he said it never the less.

"Need help reaching your back?" he knew of course that he didn't, they were both agile enough to reach it, but that didn't mean that he would be refused. A hand caressed his side and pulled him under the spray of the hot water.

**Warning! Sex scene ahead**

"No, but I can help you if you want." and before he could come up with an answer his lips were sealed with a kiss and his body was pulled against the younger teen. Soapy hands wandered over his body in slow sensual caresses, causing the sweat and dirt of the day to be washed away. A gasp left his mouth as the hands reached his ass, sliding teasingly between his legs. The kiss that had been a slow connection between them, now turned into something more demanding. Teeth biting slightly and tongues soothing the sting of pain.

Rabastan swallowed the moan that escaped Severus as the redhead began to tease his nipples, as if in retaliation one of Severus hands found its way to the front and grasped Rabastan's erection firmly, making him arch into the touch and into the dark haired teen. Severus' other hand grasped hold of one of Rabastan's and lead it over his chest, to his side, till it reached his spine and then lower, his gaze was locked with the honey-gold eyes as he felt one of Rabastan's fingers penetrate him.

The kissing had stopped somewhere in between the teasing and their mouths only connected when their breath wasn't occupied with gasps and moans. Severus nearly didn't notice that he was lent back until he was lying on the warm marble floor with Rabastan leaning over him. A smile graced his features and he reached up to pull the redhead into another kiss, though it was interrupted by the ,now, two fingers that found his prostate. His back arched as pleasure ran through him like an explosion of fire, his hands now just clutching at Rabastan's back. Their gazes found each other again and Severus just nodded desperately to the questioning look he got.

The fingers left him and warm hands bent his legs, while dark golden eyes never left his. Khaled didn't know why Rabastan couldn't look away, but he knew that he'd never seen someone so beautiful, someone that perfect, and he realized that he had lost his heart in that very moment, as his gaze was locked with Rabastan's and the redhead slowly slid into him.

It was so much better than the night before. Then it had been more for fun, nothing that serious, it hadn't been _real_. Now, with the warm water flowing over them like summer rain and the torch light that threw the room into soft light and the feelings that blossomed in his chest it was real, much more important than the night before.

Then came the first thrust and everything stopped in a moment of pure ecstasy, as Rabastan hit his sweet-spot deep inside him. They soon were a gasping thrusting mess, clutching onto each other as if their lives depended on it. Though their gaze never broke. They could read every emotion in the eyes of the other and could see the very soul laid out before them. It was more than pleasure and lust that they shared in their frantic and sensual dance on the dark green marble floor. It was themselves. And when dark, near black eyes turned a sparkling violet as they both hit their climax, Rabastan wasn't surprised, even though he would blame it on the light later.

**Sex scene is over, you can read again, if you skipped it^^**

Their breaths were short and exhausted. And both of them closed their eyes as Rabastan collapsed onto Severus, who lifted one hand to the teens neck and the other around the small of his back to hug him even closer. He pressed a kiss upon the wet dark red hair and breathed in their mingled, clean scents. He wanted to stay in those arms for the rest of his life. _You know this isn't going to work_, echoed the voice of his brother through his head from their conversation this morning. Yeah, he knew, but as long as he could, he would try to make it work.

"Stay with me tonight." he whispered into the red hair. "Please, stay." Dark honey found amethyst and they both knew that this completion, this rightness could never last in this world. Firm lips met his in a short kiss.

"Okay."

**TBC**

Ahh, finally done! I had real problems with this chapter^^ it was my first mature scene that I had to write in English, it's not that easy, and I hope I didn't ruin it^^ So tell me if you like the chap! You can tell me if you didn't like it too, so that I can get better the next time^^

"And you'll need it! What have you done with my body?"

Oh, hi Sev. Nothing, It's all Khaled's fault, not mine!

"Yeah, yeah, of course"

Ah, common, it's not as if it's really yours, it only looks like yours, you're dead.

"Yeah and who's fault would that be?"

Mmh? Did you say something?

"You are so lucky that I'm only a fictional Character."

Next chapter, we'll take a stint away from Hogwarts and visit our favorite Dark Lord, and hopefully we will be getting more plot into the story, it seems to be getting away from me all the time -.-

Well, please leave a review! Pretty pretty please! *huge-dark-green-puppy-dog-eyes*


	6. Chapter 5

Back again! After all my exams and my vacation without i-net, I finally managed to type my next chapter into my computer..., that's most of my problem^^° Mostly I write it all on paper and it's ready, but then I can't bring myself to type it... I'm just that lazy...-.-, but the weather was bad yesterday so I finally managed it! Hope ypou like it, as promised, here is what happened with our favourite Dark Lord after Khaled vanished:

**Chapter 5**

„You were right, quite a curios creature." Abraxas Malfoy said while he sat back down, his body protesting about his proud and graceful motions. The Dark Lord didn't mind the sign of disrespect as he knew the other man wasn't well.

"Yes." he answered in a contemplative tone, he took a seat opposite of his guest. "So, how is your work doing? Any interesting patients I should know about?" he asked to fill the thoughtful silence and to distract the blond from his discomfort. They sat a moment lost in thoughts. Lord Malfoy staring into the flames of the fire-place in thought, while the Dark Lord regarded his friend with a careful look.

The Head of the Malfoy Family was a stunning man and Voldemort had never been ashamed to marvel at his beauty. Even in their time at Hogwarts he would often just look at the blond and wonder about his friend. Wondering how God, if a God exists, could create someone who could turn every head in a full room just by entering it. Who could banish every thought of any deity that might exist. Though, today he was looking at the changes that had occurred since the last visit from his friend.

The Healer was thinner and had lost quite a lot of his muscle. His hands were shaking slightly and he could detect a glamour around his eyes that probably hid the shadows under them. The coughs were worse than last time, and still dry and painful, if the pained narrowing of Abraxas eyes was any hint.

"Nothing extraordinary, I had to give a lot of my patients to other doctors, because of my condition getting worse, and now I have to much time to think about it." It was one of the rare moments when the Malfoy-mask cracked and the Dark Lord received a regretting smile from the blond. The moment he had been told of the Illness that had befallen the blond Lord, he had another question to the gods he didn't believe in.

"I've only got patient C and M now, though only because they both have abandonment issues and I'm trying to gentle their way into the care of another Mind Healer." Why did they make him realize it now of all times? Why not thirty years ago? Why now, when his friend was about to die from a disease that ate him from within? Of course, that was the reason he realized it in the first place.

"Ever the mindful one about the emotions of others." he remarked, it got him a small playful spark in the grey eyes of his companion that surprised the Dark Lord in its openness.

"Why, my Lord, there's a reason I'm the best Mind Healer in all of Britain." The smile Lord Voldemort received stopped his heart, he could feel how it stuttered and missed three beats before starting anew. He had fallen for him. And he hadn't noticed it in all of the 39 years that he'd known the man. A small smile formed on his own face, an expression so foreign to him in its genuineness and totally inappropriate to the confining feelings that resided in his chest, restricting his breath with sadness as he heard the slight cough that escaped his friend.

"Yes, that you are." There is a moment of content silence between the two men, that is only disrupted by the slight noises from the fire and the sound of their breathing, the blonds breath leaving his body with a slight wet rasp. It isn't long and the amiable silence turns serious, tension growing in the expression of the friends.

"They say I'll be lucky when I see Christmas." Christmas was in two weeks. The Dark Lord nodded resigned, so the other man had come to say Good Bye. "So I..., I came with a request?" It was said as half a question. The slightly younger man stood and walked over to his blond companion and for the first time in his life as the Dark Lord he knelt before another person.

Silver coloured eyes widened in surprise and the pale, cool hand of the blond reached out for the other man's arm in an attempt to make him stand, but his hand was captured in two warm, firm hands, leading it to be held in them over the region of the Dark Lords heart.

"My dear friend, I will try with all my power to grant your request." They could both feel the build of static in the air, like electricity of the Magic of the Word.

Abraxas heart clenched in his chest at the devotion in his friends eyes and he had to stop himself to psychoanalyse his actions, it wasn't a hard thing, as he lost himself in the gaze that suddenly had gained a depth that hadn't been there before.

"I want you to watch out for Lucius. He wont be off age until February next year and he needs someone to help him shoulder the Malfoy name." Abraxas lifted his other hand as if in trance, the pressure of electric magic was rising as he put it to the side of Voldemorts head. Their eyes never broke the connection. If possible it only got more intense. "He is very much like you. Proud and protective. Coldness covers his temperament, like his mother. Will you look out for my son and support him in the ways that a father and a friend should do?" The magic was now pulsing with a heartbeat of its own and little sparks of silver magic from Abraxas side and black sparks from Voldemorts side sprang between their joined hands. They both leant forward.

"Yes, I will." And as they lent their foreheads together and closed their eyes their magic mixed within them and then stilled, signalling the conclusion of their pact.

"I'm sorry." whispered Abraxas and the blond didn't know for what he was apologizing. For demanding this from his friend? For dying? Maybe for falling in love with him over the years and never saying anything. He didn't know. He felt the slight friction as the other shook his head.

"No, it's all-right. Nothing to apologize. Not your fault." They both knew that it was just half-true. It wasn't all-right. Nothing will ever be right again. Reluctant to break the content connection they shared, they stole a few more moments from each others warmth an breath before separating. They both stood and Abraxas lowered his head while saying that he should leave. Voldemort nodded. The Dark Lord reached towards the blond and pushed back the white-golden hair, caressing the blonds ear as he pushed the strands out of his face.

"I have a feeling that I too, should apologize ." A slight frown appeared on Abraxas' face.

"What for?" A slight smile that the Malfoy knew only he had ever received, formed on the Dark Lords face as he shook his head in confusion.

"I don't know." Voldemort whispered. "Just a feeling."

The Malfoy smiled and took a step closer to the other man.

"You have nothing to be sorry about." To say he was surprised when his friend closed the distance between them and held him in a firm embrace would have been an understatement, even when he had wished that he would do it. The blond lifted his arms and put one around the shoulders and the other around the small of the back of the Dark Lord.

They rested their heads on the shoulder of the other, breathing in the others scent, feeling the breath of the other on their necks. It wasn't fair to tell the other now, so they didn't, keeping their secret from each other. This was Good Bye. The finality of it was unbearable.

'_I love you._' they both just thought as they stepped away from each other and the Dark Lord watched as his friend threw a handful of floo-powder into the embers of the fire and then vanished into the green flames.

The moment the green flames died out and the Head of the Malfoy House was gone, the Dark Lord sat down heavily into the armchair that had been occupied by Abraxas just a moment before. For one fleeting moment he was teased by the mans scent, but then it was gone, like the man it had belonged to.

Voldemort clenched his teeth, staring straight ahead and trying not to blink. Or think. Or more importantly, he tried not to cry.

He was helped by the appearance of his familiar, Nagini, who slithered her way through the gap left by the slightly ajar door. He watched as she scented the air with her tongue and came to a sudden halt in shock, before continuing her way over to him as if nothing happened.

''_Nagini. I trust your hunt went well." _he greeted the snake in Parsel-tongue. She seemed to be brought out of her thoughts and he saw her expression change. Into discontent.

"_Yes, it did go well."_ she lifted her head and without remorse slithered up his leg and wound herself around his torso resting her head on his right shoulder. Voldemort shivered.

"_Your cold."_ The next hiss of the snake sounded like a chuckle.

"_Yeah, well, suck it up. It's fucking cold outside and I'm in need of a heat source. You're comfortably warm, so unless you have any other ideas, you'll have to suffer through it. And don't even think about warming charms, they make me horribly nauseous. Why did we have to move to this cold desolate country again?"_

Voldemort couldn't help but smile. Nagini had been the only cursing snake he'd met in all his travels through the world, and she had the endearing streak to handle him like one of her snakelings. Not that she had any, she was fairly young and was an "independent snake of her own". She had been horrified at his suggestion of a mate for her and he had learned twenty new curse words that day. It was probably best, she would have been a very good and very bossy mother, but more of her kind would have driven him insane.

"_Because I was born here, and I have something to set right in this country."_ he answered smiling. The snake huffed, it was amazing that she could actually pull it of to sound nearly human and very sarcastic.

"_That's not a reason, we should have stayed in Brazil, the temperature and humidity was perfect there."_ He had to suppress the urge to roll his eyes.

"_I know, I know, and can you guess how I know that? Because you won't shut up about it."_ She actually gasped scandalized, he didn't know snakes could do that, but Nagini apparently could.

There was a long silence that stretched between them in which Voldemort settled more comfortably, careful not to crush the snake that was curled around his body. It was a content silence but it brought back his thoughts from earlier. Again he was rescued by Nagini, though not entirely.

"_It smells of Word Magic in here."_ He nodded slowly, thoughtful.

"_I promised something to Abraxas."_ he answered. She sighed. Contractions of her muscles moved along his body as she leached warmth from him, it also had the effect of comfort, though he didn't want to think about it. Lucky for him, she didn't bring it up.

"_There is something else as well, something impossible."_ the Dark Lord frowned and began to caress the scales that were wrapped around his stomach. If Nagini could have purred, she would have.

"_Why? What is it?" _he was curious. Maybe Nagini knew something about his unusual visitor. This crystal eyed ally.

"_Because they're extinct, a myth. Only to be whispered about in the dark of the night. They vanished."_ she looked stricken and her golden eyes had a far-away look. _"They were taken, they say. Taken away and killed."_ Voldemort thought about Khaled's own story, it had a similar sound. He shrugged his right shoulder to bring the snake out of her thoughts.

"_You talk in riddles again, Nagini. What did you smell?"_ Golden eyes narrowed while focussing on him.

"_Giving me a bloody concussion wont help with that you impatient bastard. You're lucky I like you."_ And as if to prove her might she lifted her head and rested it on top of Voldemorts own. In retaliation he snipped her into her side, which brought her back to her former position, grumbling about bossy Dark Lord's.

"_Come on Nagini, don't be mad."_ If her mouth hadn't been formed in a constant smile, he could have sworn she smirked at him. Her eyes did it anyway. She was serious, though, as she continued to speak.

"_The souls. It smells like a Deserts Soul." _that didn't make much sense, not any more sense than anything he had been told before anyway._ "An Amethyst." _Nagini continued deep in her own thoughts again and he didn't have the heart to shake her out of it. He could only hope that the Lestrange boy had found something in the vast knowledge that was the Hogwarts library.

"_He's dying."_ Voldemort said in a near whisper after another long silence with them both lost in thoughts.

"_I know."_ answered Nagini not much louder and just as resigned.

"_He'll be dead in two weeks."_

"_Yes."_ It was this three letter word that broke him, he curled into her form as his breath came in gasps and suppressed sobs.

"_I don't want to lose him. I can't!"_ Nagini stayed silent for a moment before she answered, regretting that she couldn't cry. It broke her heart to see her human so torn between pride and emotion.

"_There are things that even you can't fight, even with all your power."_ and it hurt her to say the words. Because no matter how much she tried to be a friend and occasionally a mother and sister, she would never be able to replace a human presence doing the same. She loved to be a snake, but for her human it would have been good to have someone to fall back on, and that she couldn't do.

"_I'm so sorry."_ she couldn't decide what for. Everything.

TBC

Yeah, I'm a little lost in melancholy right now, but the next chapter has a little fluff in the beginning so it should cure this chapters depression a bit...^^ Hope you liked it, tell me so in a review! Even if you didn't!^^

Till next Chap.


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